in the way back from san cristobal, the bus arrived to mexico city around 9am, the flight leaving at 830p, i had some hours to use up.
the day was as bright as it could be with the smog and the pollution. i put the 20-kilo backpack in a locker and left the airport to have a day in one of the loudest cities in the world.
headed downtown, in the metro, which it isn't as busy before noon. 3 different lineas, means 2 transfers. an array of street vendors in the hallways, more vendors in the many corridors from one platform to the next in one of the most populated cities of this planet.
for my surprise, it was rainning as i walked out of the DF's underground. walking a bit faster to reach some bookstores without having to get an umbrella to cover from the rain, was an accomplished goal.
after getting enough words and titles in my eyes, i walked to the museo nacional de arte. picasso and escher where the exhibits in one floor. some mexican modern painters and photographers on the third floor of this magnificent building.
the scene taken by two art students, dancing in the almost empty room. they were dancing with one another. as i stared at them, one of them, a slim, bearded, green-eyed chilean, extended his hand inviting me to dance with him. we did. it's not awkward for me to dance with strangers, for i like to dance whenever i can.
they didn't feel like strangers, they had been waiting for me the whole morning, to share some of the space in front of dusty statues and bored security guards.
laughter came around, nurturing a conversation about the enormous room and the waxed floors.
we went to have some espresso afterwards in a small cafe near by. we satiated our curiosity exchanging anecdotes and likes. art, film, living in a foreign country, drawing classes, historians, mexican revolution and political views.
they came in the metro with me to the airport we said so long.
such are the days in the big city.
